Clutch



July 25, I R HELSEL 1,919,651

CLUTCH Original Filed May 4, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 v m 2 I F/s 2 4 477" Fri 6Y5.

July 25, 1933s R. H. HELSEL ,5

CLUTCH Original Filed May 4. 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented July 25, 1933 were snares REUBEN I'I. HELSEL, OF LONG 'ISLAND CITY, "YORK, 'ASSIGNOR TO GEIVERA-Il'a REGISTER CORPORATION, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, CORZEORATION OF PENNSYL- VANIA Original application filed May 4, 1926, Seria1 No. 108,632; Divided and this v 1930. Seria1 No.'495,026.

This invention relates to an improved clutch and associated means and particularly to an arrangement for stopping a shaft in a predetermined position after a defined cycle of operation. I

application Serial N 0. 106,632, filed May 4, 1926. entitled Check punching and issuing machine which application has matured into Patent No. 1,797,771 granted Mar. 24,. 1931. I Y

In my said prior application there is illustrated the improved clutch mechanism in combination with .a check issuing machine,

the mechanism of which is designed to operate through-a predetermined cycle upon the depression of one of a series of keys. It will be obvious that the improved clutch mechanism may be applied to any other machines in which certain operating parts must have predetermined cycles of operation and come to rest in predetermined positions and remain inoperative until certain instrumentalities are manually, or otherwise, actuated.

It is the broad object of the present invention to provide a single and positive,

Figure 1 is, a vertical section through a machine embodying the improved clutch mechanism. showing the main operating parts inside elevation; i i

Figure 2 is a transverse vertical section of the machine partially taken through the axes of the rotating parts of the clutch; and

Figure 3 31s a side elevation of the side of the machine opposite that illustrated in F igure 1.

a In the following description the variouselements forming the clutch proper and the EISSOOlIttQCl motor drlvmg mechanism are CLUTCH described in the application referred toabove. Only so much of this check issuing v mechanism is illustrated as is necessary to" This application is a division of mv 131F101,

PATENT oFFICE application filed November 12,

with the clutch to control its actions.

The frame of the machine which is illus trated in: 2 has suitable'form consisting in the present, instance of upright plates forming bearings for certain shafts hereafter described andalso providing a support for various elements.v A motor 4 mounted on the framev has secured to its shaft a pinion 6 which, through themedium of anintermediate gear8, a shaft 10 and a pinion 12, drives the gear.14 which is our; nalled on the power transmitting shaft 16 so as to rotate freelyabout the same.

The gear 14 is provided with a hub carrying teeth 18 which are arranged to engage a pawl 20 pivoted at22 to'a plate 24, the hub of which is pinned to-the-shaft lti as indicated at 30. The plate 24 is provided with a cam edge 26 having an abrupt shoulder 28 formed therein.

i A sage of a pin 34 carried by the pawl 20 to the opposite side of the plate where it engages within a cam slot 36 formed in amemher 88 loosely mounted on the hub of the plate24 so as to be freely rotatable relatively thereto. A spring 40 normally urgesthe member 38 in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in Figure 1 relatively to the plate so-that the pin 34 will normally be located in the inner end of the slot 36, thus throwing the pawl 20 into position to be engaged by one of the teeth 18.- The; spring 40 is secured to the member v3 8 and to the plate 24.

slot 32 in the plate 24 permits the pas- A pin 42 carried by the memberl38 is adapted to engage a hook lever 44 carried by a shaft 46 transversely journalled in the frame 2. The shaft 46 has secured-thereto.

for rotation therewith arms 48, the outer ends of' which carry a transverse rod 50,the ends of which project through suitable openings in the upright plates of the frame. The

pin 50 is adapted to be engaged in either of i l two notches formedin each of two members 52 which are drawn against the pin by springs 54 connected to their upper ends and to the frame. By reason of these notches the shaft 46 is yieldingly held in either of two positions, in one of which the hook '44 clears the path of the pin 42 and in the other of which the hook 44 is arranged to be engaged by the pin 42 at the end of a cycle of operation.

Pivoted to the pin 50 there is illustrated a link 56 which, in the complete machine, is connected to certain controlling part-s. Since these parts affect only indirectly the operation of the clutch as applied to a specific mechanism, they are not illustrated in detail. These parts are merely examples of various auxiliary controls which may be used in conjunction with the clutch, as will be obvious. There is also illustrated a controlling bar 57 which may be manually moved vertically in any suitable fashion, this bar being in the complete check issuing machine operated upon depression of any one of a series of selector keys. It is also illustrative of one means for manually controlling the clutch. Its lower end is positioned above the pin 50 so that upon depression, it will engage the pin and thus rotate the shaft 46 in a clockwise direction as viewed in Figure l.

A lever 58 is pivoted to the frame at 60 and carries at one end a cam following roller 62 held in engagement with the periphery of the disc 24 by a spring 64 which is secured to the lever and to the frame.

Referring now to Figure 3, there are illustrated certain connectionsoccurring on the side of the machine opposite that illus trated in Figure 1. These connections include a link 66 pivoted on the pin 50 and also connected to an arm 68 pivoted at 69 to the frame and carrying a switch blade 70 arranged to cooperate with suitable switch contacts 72 which are located in the driving circuit of the motor. The motor is arranged to be driven, when the circuit is closed, by electrical connection of contacts 72 by the knife 70 and is stopped by the opening of this same circuit. V

From the above description the operation of the clutch will be obvious. In the various figures the parts are illustrated in the positions assumed during operation. Initially the shaft 46 is located so that the pin 50 rests Within the upper notches in the arms 52. The hook 44 engages-the pin 42 and at the same time the cam roller 62 lies behind the ledge 28. When this is true, the member 38 occupies a position relative to the disc 24 so that the spring 40 is stretched and pin 34 is in the outer end of the opening 36 so that the pawl 20 is located outwardly of the path of the teeth 18. At this time, also, the switch blade 70 is in open position.

If now the member-57 is depressed or the shaft 46 is rocked in a clockwise direction,

the switch 70 closes to start the motor 4. Q

As the hook lever 44 rocks outwardly pin 42 is released and therefore the spring 40 is free to move the member 38 relative to the disc 24 so that the pawl 20 is cammed inwardly in position to be engaged by one of the teeth 18. Since the motor is now operating the shaft 16 will be positively driven.

As the disc 24 approaches the end of its cycle of rotation, the roller 62 rides over the raised part of the cam surface 26 so that the lever 58 is rocked in a counter clockwise direction thereby raising the pin 50 which is engaged by its outer end. The degree of rise is sufiicient to carry the pin 50 into the upper notches of the levers 52 which thereafter yieldingly retain it. At the same time the switch 70 is opened and the hook lever 44 is moved to a position wherein it engages the pin 42 retarding. the member 38 and thereby causing the pawl 20 to move outwardly from engagement with the teeth 18. The momentum of the parts is such, however, that the disc 24 will continue to rotate until the pin 34 engages the outer end of the slot 36 whereupon the hook 44 becomes effective to positively stop the rotation of the disc and the shaft 16. It may be pointed out that at this time the pawl 20 is free from the teeth 18 so that the motor and the parts driving the gear 14 may continue to rotate until they are frictionally brought to rest. At the time when positive arrest of disc 24 and pin 34 occurs by the hook 44, the roller 62 will have ridden over the ledge 28 dropping behind the same andthereby preventing reversed movement of the disc24 under the action of the spring 40. The parts thus come to rest in the initial position above described, in which the pawl 20 is held out of the path of the teeth 18.

It is obvious that numerous changes may be made in details ofconstruction without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined in the following claims.

lVhat I claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. A clutch mechanism including a rotatable driving member carrying an engaging element, a driven member, a movable pawl carried by the driven member, a controlling element movable relatively to the driven member in opposite directions, and operative in such relative movement to move the pawl into the path of the engaging element, yielding means normally urging the cont-rolling element relatively to the driven member to move the pawl into the path of the engaging element, means for producing opposite relative movement of the controlling element and driven member to cause the pawl to move out of the path of the engaging element, and means operable when the last means is active for preventing relative movement of ing means normally urging the controlling element relatively to the driven memberin the normal direction of rotation to move the pawl into the path of the engaging element, means for retarding the controlling element to cause the pawl to move out of the path of the engaging element, and means for preventing a retrograde movement of the driven member when the controlling element is retarded.

3. A clutch mechanism including a rotatable driving member carrying an engaging element, a driven member, a movable pawl carried by the driven member, a controlling element movable relatively to the driven member inopposite directions and operative in such relative movement to move the pawl into the path ofthe engagingelement, yielding means normally urging the controlling element relatively to the driven memher in the normal direction of rotation to move the pawl into the path of the engag ing element, means for retarding the controlling element to cause the pawl to move out of the path of the engaging element,

devices for rendering the last named means operative at the end of a cycle, and means for preventing a retrograde movement of the driven member when the cycle is completed.

l. In combination with a driving motor, a

clutch mechanism including a rotatable drivng member carrying an engaglng element, a

driven member, a movable pawl carried by the driven member, a controlling element movable relatively to the driven member in opposite directionsand operative in such relative ,movement to move the pawl into the path of the engaging element, yielding means normally urging the controlling element relatively to the driven member, to

move the pawl into the path of the engaging element, means for producing opposite relative movement of the controlling element and driven member to cause the pawl to move out of the path of the engaging element, means operable when the last named means is effective for preventing relative movement of the controlling element and driven member under the action of the yielding means, and means for stopping the .mo-

s operation simultaneously with th d ng gement of the pa l, I Y

REUBEN H. HELSEL. 

